Carrying On
by Aaerial15
Summary: Serena defeats Queen Beryl, but not without casualties. Sadly those closest to her paid the ultimate price. My first Song fic. ONE SHOT!


**Carrying On**

**A Sailor Moon fan fic**

_Authors note: Well, here we have my first attempt at a song fic. I do not own Sailor Moon, Naoko Takeuchi does. I do not own the song Carry On, it was performed by Jennifer Cihi. If anyone can find who wrote it, feel free to mention in a review or a pm. I am welcoming 2013 with this little number that came to me while I was sleeping. That being said, enjoy!_

Beads of sweat poured down Serena's face. This was it. The final confrontation with the leader of the Negaverse, Queen Beryl. Everything revolved around this moment. Her friends, her family, hell, the continued existence of planet Earth hung in the balance. The memory of four specific friends was at the forefront of Serena's mind. As was the sacrifices they made to bring her to this moment. "I have taken everything from you," Queen Beryl gloated. The two had been locked in a powerful clash of energy. "Tell me, why do you continue to fight? For your friends? Your precious Sailor Scouts? I shall see to it that your fate is the same as theirs!" she threatened.

Serena felt her resolve begin to crumble. She shed a single tear that did not go unnoticed. "Yes, feel the utter despair of your failure. I assure you, you will survive this, my dear." Serena balked. That didn't sound good. "If you're as powerful as you claim, why don't you finish me now?" Serena demanded angrily. She struggled against the dark energy that was threatening to consume her.

"What would be the point of that?" Beryl asked in response. "Sure, victory would be mine, but it wouldn't have the same...satisfaction," she explained. "No, I want you to live. To live to see your precious planet fall under the power of the Negaverse." Beryl cackled. "Rest assured, you will die," she continued. "But only after you have seen everything you hold dear destroyed."

"You. Will. Not!" Serena growled in response. Beryl's words seemed to open a floodgate of memories. Tuxedo Mask was still missing. He could be dead. If that wasn't bad enough, the broken bodies of her comrades in arms flashed through her mind. The memories of their deaths strengthened her resolve. She could not put her finger on it, but a feeling of strength began flowing through her veins. She could hear her friends speaking to her from beyond.

"Sailor Moon, you've got to believe in yourself!" Luna's voice rang out. Serena closed her eyes for a brief moment. She had visions of her friends. "Hey Serena, I'll help you with this assignment if you want," Amy's voice rang out.

_Here I'm standing in the night,_

"You are so stubborn, Serena. Let us help, or I'll never speak to you again," Raye threatened. "Yeah, Lita added. "Let us help you put her away!"

_My crescent wand the only light._

_Alone against my darkest fear,_

_But I sense my friends are near,_

_I'll draw from each the power I need,_

_Evil Queen we will defeat!_

"Let us help," Mina pleaded. "Have you accepted your inevitable defeat?" Beryl sneered. Serena finally opened her eyes. "I hear you, Luna," she said softly, raising her wand. "I will not be afraid anymore," Serena replied, staring Beryl in the face. "YOU SHOULD BE!" Beryl snarled.

_Give me the strength to carry on,_

"Cosmic Moon Power!" Serena shouted, amplifying her own energy attack.

_With all our love we can't go wrong,_

_Only together we face the fight, _

In response, Beryl amplified the dark energy she was using, and the blast nearly overtook Serena. "Fight this evil," she pleaded. She suddenly felt another hand on her wand. It was Amy's. "This...can't be," Serena said softly. "It is," Amy replied. Another hand joined. "Raye?" Serena asked. "You know it," Raye replied. "Let's finish this."

_Nothing can stand against our might._

In no time Lita and Mina joined and once again, the group was united. The energy that of the wand increased tenfold, and easily overpowered Beryl's dark energy. "What? NO!" Beryl screamed. The energy from Serena's wand rapidly overtook Beryl, and it was over mercifully quick. The would-be conqueror disintigrated.

"Thank you guys for coming back," Serena said, her heart overflowing with joy. However, as she looked at the faces of each of her friends, she was taken by four sorrowful expressions. "You don't mean..." her voice trailed off.

"Sorry Serena, but we could only come back for this last battle," Mina explained. "We're all out of energy," Amy added.

"But...this...isn't fair," Serena said, tears flowing down her face. "You shouldn't have to go." Raye put a comforting hand on Serena's shoulder. "Serena, our job was to protect you. We have done that. Our time has passed," she said in a comforting voice, but it only came as a cold comfort. "We will see each other again someday," Mina said, embracing her leader. In no time, the rest of the group followed.

The Sailor Scouts enjoyed one last group hug, a bittersweet farewell of sorts. Then one by one, in order of how they met, each of them slowly faded. "Goodbye Serena, I'll miss you," Amy said, her last words as she faded.

Serena made no attempt to stifle her tears. "I can't wait to see you again," Raye added as she faded. "Yeah, we'll have so much to talk about," Lita said happily. "And don't you dare leave out a single detail."

"I won't," Serena replied. "We'll be together again soon," Mina said softly. "Just have faith." With that, Lita and Mina disappeared. Their bodies were replaced by Tuxedo Mask making his way through the mist. "Sailor Moon!" he called.

He was treated to the sight of Serena collapsing to her knees. He dropped all pretense at that moment, they knew each other's identities by now. "Serena, what happened.?" he asked.

It took a while, but they slowly recovered the bodies of the fallen Sailor Scouts. Before them lay four coffins, each made of solid gold. Each coffin was inscribed with the fallen girl's representative planet. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus.

"I can't believe they did not survive," Luna said sadly. The funeral was attended only by four, Serena, Darrien, Luna, and Artemis. "Neither can I," Artemis replied. "But they did their duty proudly." At the white cat's words, Serena looked at the coffins containing her friends contemplatively.

_With all our strength the battle's won,_

_With all our love we can't go wrong,_

_We have the strength to carry on!_

**The End.**

_I would just like to wish all my readers a most Happy New Year. You are the reason I do this, and without you my life would be empty._


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